Page 82 of Game Changer
“You wanna dance?” he asked.
“A little on the nose, don’t you think?” Scott asked, nodding at the stereo.
Kip smiled. “Come on, show me what Elena taught you.”
Scott shook his head, but took Kip’s hand, and led him to the middle of the room. He placed his other hand on Kip’s lower back, and Kip grinned and let Scott lead. He wrapped his free arm around him, sliding his hand up his spine and landing his fingers in the short hairs at the top of Scott’s neck.
Scott was an awkward dancer, but Kip didn’t care. He rested his head on Scott’s shoulder and sighed happily.
“Wish I coulda danced with you there,” Scott said.
“S’okay.”
“It’s not. I wanted to show you off. The most gorgeous man in the room was withmeand I couldn’t even tell anyone.”
Kip smiled. “Didn’t think you were one to brag.”
“I’m not. I just...”
“I’d like to go out on dates with you.”
Scott swallowed. “Where would you take me?”
Kip considered it. “A club,” he said finally. “We would just lose ourselves in the music. I’d love to see it, you letting go like that. In public. Getting each other all worked up and then going home.”
“God,” Scott said. “I’d like that. I’ve never been to a gay club. Not in New York, anyway.”
“I know a few good ones. Someday, maybe.”
“Someday.”
They danced, and Kip let himself drift. He drank in the romance of the moment, of being wrapped up in Scott, the luxurious fabric of his tuxedo under his hands. Of the light scent of whatever grooming products he’d used. Of the lights of the city all around them as they pressed as close as they could against each other, while their heads swam with imagined scenarios of being together outside the safe walls of this apartment.
They danced, and Kip turned his head so he could scrape kisses along Scott’s sharp jawline. Keeping his mouth busy prevented him from blurting out declarations that were embarrassingly premature.
Scott’s fingers tapped lightly on Kip’s lower back, and Kip wondered if Scott felt like he did: too full offeeling.Full of words he couldn’t quite imagine saying out loud. His own fingers were trembling a bit, so he curled them into Scott’s hair.
Scott said, “I want to go everywhere with you.”
And Kip could hear the sadness in the way Scott said it. He could hear the unspokenBut I can’t. But Kip would ignore it. Tonight, he would ignore it.
* * *
Scott was overwhelmed.
Somehow, dancing fully clothed in his living room was the most romantic experience of his life. He loved having Kip in his arms, in his home, wearinghissuit. His senses werefullof Kip.
When the song ended, Scott stepped back because he needed to look at him. He had to make sure that this wonderful man was reallyhere. That he was actually his boyfriend.
Kip smiled shyly at him, and Scott was momentarily paralyzed.
“What is it?” Kip asked, barely above a whisper.
Scott shook his head. “Sometimes I—” He exhaled, trying to slow the pounding of his heart. “I can’t believe you’re real.”
As soon as the words were out, he blushed.What a stupid thing to say!
But Kip just laughed and put a hand on Scott’s chest, over his racing heart, and said, “I keep thinking I’m going to wake up.”
